-- AI Search Marketing Agency has published its NZ Google AI Overviews Study 2026, analyzing 1,000 commercially relevant Google New Zealand searches across 20 industries to measure when AI-generated answers appear and which sources those answers cite.
The study found an AI Overview on 739 searches, representing 73.9% of the sample. When present, an AI Overview appeared as the first search-results element 88% of the time. Across the complete dataset, approximately two-thirds of searches displayed an AI-generated answer above the first traditional organic listing.
Search intent produced the largest differences. AI Overviews appeared on 96.5% of advice searches and 96% of cost and pricing searches. Comparison and transactional searches produced rates around 80%, while searches for providers in a named city triggered AI Overviews only 16.5% of the time.
“Businesses keep asking for one national number, and one number would mislead them,” said Marcos Azaro, founder of AI Search Marketing Agency. “A plumber in Wellington can still own the map results when someone searches for a plumber in Wellington. But the searches that come before that — what a job should cost, whether to repair or replace, which option suits an older home — are now answered by Google’s AI almost every time.”
Industry differences in Google AI Overview prevalence were relatively modest across the 20 sectors studied, ranging from 62% in beauty and wellness to 88% in telecommunications. Despite these variations, the broader relationship between search intent and AI Overview visibility remained consistent.
Citation analysis showed a strong local bias: 80% of cited sources were New Zealand domains. MoneyHub was cited in 19% of AI Overviews, followed by YouTube at 18% and Reddit at 15%, while Consumer NZ and Canstar also appeared frequently. No individual New Zealand brand appeared in more than 6% of responses.
When researchers weighted results by search volume, the AI Overview rate fell to 27% across 275 queries with available Google volume data. This was mainly because high-volume local and booking searches were less likely to trigger AI answers.
The study used preselected queries across 20 industries and five intent categories. Data was collected on September 8 through DataForSEO using Google New Zealand desktop settings. A 100-query rerun showed 93% agreement. The full study includes methodology, charts, query lists, a workbook, and row-level data for independent review and closer independent examination of results.
About AI Search Marketing Agency
AI Search Marketing Agency is an Auckland-based search consultancy led by Marcos Azaro. Its work covers AI search, AEO, GEO, SEO, local SEO and visibility across AI-driven discovery platforms.
For more information, visit: https://aisearchmarketing.agency/
About the company: AI Search Marketing Agency is an Auckland-based search consultancy led by Marcos Azaro.
Contact Info:
Name: Marcos Azaro
Email: Send Email
Organization: AI Search Marketing Agency
Website: https://aisearchmarketing.agency/
Release ID: 89203599
Google
RSS